


Inevitable

by josafiend



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, seikki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-23
Updated: 2014-03-23
Packaged: 2018-01-16 19:28:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1359157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/josafiend/pseuds/josafiend
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Seb hates his neighbour but he can't help being intrigued by the mysterious man he’s only ever seen from the back, but when Kimi comes home he finds his life thrown into chaos in the most heartbreaking way. (Drive AU)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Inevitable

**Author's Note:**

> Written from a prompt by Arkadias for the Understeers Ficlet Challenge (3).

**BANG**  
  
Seb's body reacted to the noise violently, jerking with surprise and throwing barely warm coffee over not only his jeans, but also the library book he had been quietly reading.  
  
Cursing, he climbed to his feet and padded across the open plan sitting room to the kitchen, where he hastily wiped the damp pages with a cloth.  
  
Three floors below, a second slam preceded a figure as he stalked purposefully across the dimly lit car park. Seb peered through the window, watching as he stooped to open his car and climbed inside. The engine revved aggressively and pulled out onto the road, disappearing out of sight at the second row of traffic lights  
  
 _Stupid neighbour_.  
  
Four hours later, Seb was nodding off to sleep when the distant sound of footsteps in the corridor made his ears prick. They stopped close to Seb's own front door and a loose jangle of keys confirmed his suspicions that his least favourite person had returned home.  
  
He threw himself onto his side, pulling the duvet close around his ears to block out the slam, which arrived as expected, and eventually fell asleep with a disgruntled frown on his face.  
  
 _Idiot_.

  
****

  
Seb had never met his neighbour, despite the fact that they had both lived in the building for almost the exact same length of time; two years. In all honesty, the only part of the illusive door slammer that Seb had ever seen was the back of him.  
  
He was always walking away, either disappearing down the hallway, or across the car park. Mostly it was when Seb arrived home from work in the evenings and he caught a glimpse of him pushing his way into his flat, the door flicking shut with a loud bang every time.  
  
Seb had worked out that his neighbour was blond, although that hadn't taken a huge amount of detective work to figure out, and that he was taller than him, but not by much. He was definitely a lot broader though, judging by the shoulders alone, and Seb wondered if he was one of those personal trainers he'd seen advertised at his local gym, when he'd been bothered to go.  
  
It had become a bit of a challenge for Seb, to try and find out more about the man next door. He knew several people on his floor, not enough familiarity to call friends, but certainly worth a ‘ _good morning_ ' here and a ‘ _how are you_?' there, and one of them had only been a resident for a couple of months, but nobody knew anything more about the guy than he did, and it began to frustrate Seb that his neighbour was so illusive.  
  
 _What have you got to hide_?

  
****

  
Seb strolled down the supermarket aisle, his basket swinging loosely in his hand while he tried to decide what tasty, yet affordable, ingredients would constitute his evening meal.  
  
Since Kimi had been sent to jail it had been a bit of a hand to mouth existence for Seb, who had had been forced to find a new job to cope with the rent he was now expected to pay single-handedly. He was earning more than he used to, for sure, but it barely covered the bills, so he was fairly used to eating one meal a day, or spending the winter wrapped in blankets to avoid putting the heating on.  
  
Finally making a decision, Seb snatched a tin of spaghetti hoops off the shelf and spun on his heel, intent on heading off towards the bread section to complete the ‘spaghetti on toast' ensemble. He didn't realise there was another person standing beside him, trying to come to a similar conclusion, and walked straight into them.  
  
"I'm so sorry!" Seb stammered, grasping the arm of his victim as he stumbled backwards.  
  
As they came to an unsteady stop beside a towering display of Heinz soup, Seb looked up into the face of the man he had gracelessly crashed into and gasped.  
  
A pair of piecing blue eyes narrowed cautiously at Seb's surprised expression. "You okay?" he asked, frowning slightly.  
  
Collecting himself Seb couldn't believe his luck. It was most definitely his neighbour. He was looking at him from the front, for the first time in two years. "I'm fine," he said at last. "Seriously, I'm really sorry. I wasn't paying attention."  
  
"Don't worry about it," the man said quietly, reaching for a tin of chopped tomatoes and dropping them into his own basket. "You live in my building, right?"  
  
Seb nodded quickly, finding it oddly impossible to tear his eyes away from the man's face. There was no way of avoiding the first thought that came to his mind; this guy was gorgeous.  
  
"Yes, I'm on the third floor," he replied at last.  
  
The man smiled, "Yeah, I've seen you."  
  
"I'm Sebastian," Seb said, offering his right hand. "People generally just call me Seb."  
  
He bit his lip gently, "Sebastian," he said, elongating the word as though he was considering if it was suitable.  
  
Seb waited, he kind of liked the way his name sounded when the man said it, maybe a little too much, and was vaguely hoping that he might hear him say it on a more regular basis when he remembered that Kimi wouldn't be happy with this conversation.  
  
"I should probably..." he said quietly, gesturing towards the end of the aisle.  
  
The man smiled, side-stepping to let him by. "Sure, no worries, I'm Heikki by the way."  
  
Seb grinned, "Heikki?" he repeated, walking backwards towards the bread as he still couldn't take his eyes off his neighbour.  
  
"Yeah, Heikki," he said. "See you around, I guess. Sorry about the door."  
  
Seb felt his cheeks flush with sudden embarrassment, wondering if his mutterings had travelled through the walls whenever he'd been startled by the sudden bangs.  
  
"Don't worry about it," he heard himself saying. "No problem."

  
****

  
"God damn it!"  
  
Seb snatched his hand back from the open oven and watched helplessly as the last of his food scattered across the kitchen floor. He rushed to the sink, pouring cold water onto the site of the burn on his wrist, whimpering softly as it stung and pulsed despite the treatment. He reached for a towel and opened the freezer, scooping a handful of ice into the fabric and holding it to his skin.  
  
 _Shit_.  
  
After a few moments a loud banging on the door distracted him from his self pity.  
  
"Heikki," he said, trying to sound more surprised than elated.  
  
Heikki fixed Seb with an x-ray strength stare. "Are you okay? I heard a shout."  
  
Seb shrugged and lifted his injured arm and soggy towel into his neighbour's eyeline. "I burned myself."  
  
Heikki chuckled, "Not so good in the kitchen, huh?"  
  
"Not great," Seb admitted, smiling with embarrassment. "Shame really, now there's nuggets all over my floor and nothing to replace them with until the shop opens in the morning."  
  
Heikki's expression changed slightly, "I was just about to eat-"  
  
"I'll let you get back to it then," Seb said quickly, about to swing the door shut when one of Heikki's huge hands reached out and held it steady.  
  
"I meant you can join me, if you want? I always make too much."  
  
Seb's stomach couldn't have picked a more inappropriate time to rumble loudly.  
  
Heikki laughed, "Shall I assume that's a yes?"  
  
"That's really nice of you," Seb said, smiling gratefully. "I'll just go and turn the oven off before I burn the whole block down."  
  
"Sure, just let yourself right in."  
  


****

  
Seb pushed the door and slipped into Heikki's flat, noticing the way the door springs were tight enough to snatch it from his hands a second too late and slammed it into the frame.  
  
"See what I mean?" a voice called from further down the hall; Heikki.  
  
Seb made his way down the dark corridor, aware that the rooms were laid out in a mirror image to his own, catching a glimpse of the inside of what must be Heikki's bedroom. There was a small lamp casting a cozy glow around the walls, and a comfy looking, slightly untidy, bed. Seb though about his own room, his and Kimi's room, which held no comfort at all now that he had sold most of the furniture. The bed was the last thing left, and Seb knew that he'd be on a mattress on the floor before too much longer.  
  
"Did you get lost out there, Gordon Ramsey?"  
  
Seb jumped, backing away from the bedroom and into the lounge where Heikki was dropping steaming plates onto a small table.  
  
"Sorry, it's all backwards." Seb said, grinning nervously.  
  
Heikki grinned, "Four rooms can get so confusing, I hope you like pasta, there's about six tonnes of it here."  
  
Seb blushed, aware that Heikki was making fun of him, and pulled out a chair. "I love pasta," he confessed and began eagerly shovelling food into his mouth.  
  
He was halfway through the meal before he realised that Heikki was watching him with an amused half smile on his face.  
  
"What did I do?" Seb asked nervously, laying his fork down carefully on the edge of his plate.  
  
Heikki's lips spread wider and he began to laugh. "Sebastian –  _god that name on his tongue made Seb's head spin_  – when did you last eat a round meal?"  
  
Seb shrugged, making a noise that sounded like ‘ _Dunno_ ' as his eyes dropped to his plate with shame. He didn't want to have to tell Heikki about how close to starving he was, or how tired he felt from twelve hour shifts at the factory. He didn't even want him to know about Kimi, not because he was ashamed of his relationship, more of the dreadful mess he'd got his life into in his absence.  
  
"Seb?"  
  
Seb started, knocking the fork onto the floor. Heikki bent to pick it up and wandered across to the sink, throwing it in and pulling a replacement out of a nearby drawer.  
  
"There's nothing wrong in you admitting you need help," Heikki said softly, handing Seb the new piece of cutlery, "now eat."  
  
Seb silently obeyed, eating almost robotically until his plate was clean.  
  
"Want a beer?" Heikki asked, clearing the table as soon as Seb swallowed his last mouthful and opening the fridge.  
  
"Sure," Seb replied and followed Heikki to the small couch in front of a television which was soon broadcasting an ice hockey game.  
  
Seb's eyes wandering around the room, curious that there were no photographs of friends and family like there was in his flat. He found himself trying to work Heikki out in his head.  
  
 _Who are you?_  
  
"What are you thinking about, Sebastian?" Heikki asked, slumping against the couch with an arm across the back.  
  
"I'm just wondering how we haven't talked before the other day," Seb replied, taking a sip from his can.  
  
Heikki's lips pouted out as he considered their situation, "I guess our paths never really crossed until then. I work strange hours; early mornings, late nights, I'm not your average nine-to-five kind of guy."  
  
Seb's interest piqued, "What do you do?" he asked.  
  
"I'm a personal trainer, at the F1 gym. I don't know if you know it?"  
  
 _A-ha! I knew it!_  
  
"Yeah, I know it. I used to be a member there, before –"  
  
Seb stiffened, aware that he'd talked himself down a road he wished he hadn't.  
  
Heikki took a long gulp from his drink and gave Seb a sideways look. "You don't have to tell me anything. Just know I'm here if you need someone to help you out if you feel like you're getting swamped."  
  
"Thank you," Seb said softly.  
  


****

  
For the next week Seb heard every bang the door of Heikki's flat made. It wasn't even like he was waiting for it, he just became attuned to noticing it when it happened, and found that hearing it was closely followed by him standing next to the window, peering down at the street below and hoping to get a glimpse of blonde hair and broad shoulders.  
  
He was in bed when he heard the familiar thud and, having already heard Heikki clattering around his living room earlier that evening, glanced at his alarm clock and wondered where on Earth Heikki would be going to personally train someone at three in the morning.  
  
Seb watched Heikki approach his car as usual, but on this occasion he stopped and turned, looking up at the building, looking straight at Seb. His gaze was so intense that Seb could feel Heikki's vibrant blue eyes boring into his, freezing him to the spot as their eyes remained locked together, until, with a small shake of his head, Heikki turned and climbed quickly into his car, driving away and out of sight at the second set of traffic lights.  
  
 _How curious._

  
****

  
"You've been watching me," Heikki's voice was low.  
  
Seb swigged nervously at his drink, in his now regular position at the end of Heikki's couch, "Sorry," he mumbled. "I just wondered why you were going out so late."  
  
Heikki's eyes turned to the television and stayed there, unmoving.  
  
"I wasn't spying on you," added Seb, leaning forward to try and recapture Heikki's attention. "The door..."  
  
"Yeah, I know," Heikki said softly. "Let's just say personal training isn't the best paid job in the world, Sebastian."  
  
Mildly distracted by the sound of his own name for the thousandth time, Seb's curiosity got the better of him, "So how do you make up the rest?"  
  
Heikki sighed, "I've already said too much."  
  
"I can keep a secret, Heikki!" Seb said, sounding offended.  
  
Heikki blew out his cheeks in frustration, "I don't doubt that, it's just –," he pushed his fingers through his hair and Seb felt nervous, he'd never seen Heikki struggle for words before. "It's something I do to survive, you understand that don't you, Sebastian?"  
  
Seb nodded, his stomach knotting, was Heikki a drug dealer? Seb's mouth went dry at the thought; he couldn't go through that, not again.  
  
"It doesn't matter what you do, Heikki. You're my friend," Seb lied.  
  
Heikki put his can down on the floor and turned to face Seb, "I drive."  
  
Seb's brow knitted in confusion, "I don't follow."  
  
"I drive for people," Heikki went on quietly, "people who do bad things."  
  
"You... you don't kill people, do you?"  
  
Heikki shook his head quickly, "No, definitely not. I just drive. I wait outside with the engine running, and if they get in the car within the allotted time I can get them away from the police."  
  
Seb continued to look confused, "So who did you drive for last night, it was too late for the banks to be open."  
  
"They were breaking into a storage facility, for phones." Heikki explained.  
  
For a moment they sat in silence, while the television hummed away in the background.  
  
"We all have secrets, Sebastian."  
  
"My boyfriend's parole is coming up," Seb confessed suddenly, the words flying from his mouth as though he needed to balance out the amount of guilty conscience in the room.  
  
Heikki smiled a little sadly, "That's good news. I guess you're looking forward to that?"  
  
"Yeah," said Seb, sounding about as enthusiastic as someone being asked if they were looking forward to a colonic.  
  
Heikki carried on smiling, but the expression didn't reach his eyes anymore, and Seb wished that he could crawl across the couch and bury his face in his hard chest, breathe him in and forget the world. He wanted to know what it felt to have Heikki's arms wrapped around him, instead of having to curl up by himself in his lonely bed imagining it so hard he could swear he could feel them pressed against his skin.  
  
Seb reached his hand across the couch until it lay on the cushions between them, and Heikki's hand mirrored the action, sliding over Seb's with only the very slightest of pressure. They stared at their hands, Heikki's dwarfing Seb's like an adult's would a child, and without a word Heikki's hand curled, wrapping around Seb's until their fingers slipped between each others and interlocked.  
  
Beyond the wall, in Seb's flat, a phone began to ring.  
  
"I have to go," Seb said.  
  
"I know," replied Heikki, without loosening his grip and when Seb got to his feet the link between them broke apart, Heikki's arm dropping onto the cushion.  
  
When Seb reached the doorway he looked back, but Heikki hadn't moved, and he left the flat towards the inevitability of Kimi's phone call, passing the cozy bedroom on the way.

  
****

  
"Are you ready for Friday?"  
  
Seb could hear the excitement in Kimi's voice down the crackly line, "Of course I am, you know I am."  
  
Kimi chuckled, "I can't wait to get in that flat, no guards, and no time limits. Man, we could just stay in bed for a week!"  
  
"I have to go to work, Kimi," Seb said.  
  
"Thanks for bringing that dream back to earth, Seb!" Kimi said, and Seb knew that he was rolling his eyes. "Are you picking me up?"  
  
"I finish work at six, so I'll be straight up to you as soon as I get away."  
  
"Take the day off, come and pick me up at lunch time, we can swing buy McDonalds? Seb, do you know how much I've missed McDonalds?"  
  
Seb shrugged, "A lot, I guess?"  
  
"Almost as much as I missed you," Kimi said softly.  
  
Seb slid down the wall until his backside hit the hard wood floor, silent tears tracing lines down his cheeks. His throat burned from the effort of holding in the sob that threatened to break free at any moment.  
  
"You missed me too, right Seb?"  
  
"Mmhmm," Seb managed.  
  
"Hey, come on. It's three days away, I'll be home soon."  
  
Seb's eyes closed, unable to believe much of a disaster it all was. He wasn't crying because he missed Kimi, despite what he was letting him believe, and that was what was breaking his heart. He was crying because he wished that Kimi wasn't coming home at all, but he would never, ever, be able to tell him.  
  
Kimi would be home on Friday and their life would pick up where they left off.  
  
 _No more Heikki._  
  
"I'm fine, I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't be sorry," Kimi said, and Seb could tell from his voice that he was smiling. "I'll see you Friday."

  
****

  
The party was in full swing but Seb wasn't in the mood. He had picked Kimi up at five that afternoon, after begging his shift manager for an early finish in return for overtime the following week, and withdrew the last twenty pounds from his bank account to buy Kimi a McDonalds and some buffet nibbles for the get together Kimi had quickly planned to celebrate his release.  
  
The flat was full of people, and Kimi was at the centre of a group of them, recounting a story from his time behind bars that probably involved someone getting smashed over the head with a pool cue.  
  
Seb was sick of listening to this endless overly macho subject of conversation, and was pretty convinced that it was fictional, and after all, how could the enthralled audience check Kimi's story was accurate? It was much more likely that someone had picked up the wrong cigarettes and a small scuffle had evolved into everyone getting locked in their cells early as punishment.  
  
When he had tried several unsuccessful times to persuade Kimi to end the party a little earlier, he slipped out in to the corridor and sat on the floor beside the door, feeling the bass from the music within vibrate the walls through his back.  
  
"You okay?"  
  
Seb's heart lifted at the sound of a familiar voice from the opening lift doors.  
  
"Yeah, just escaping the festivities for a minute," Seb explained.  
  
Heikki shifted the shopping bags in his hands so he could push his key into the door. "It's nice to see you, Sebastian."  
  
 _Please don't say that._  
  
The door opened beside Seb's hunched form and Kimi's head appeared, "What are you doing out he –," he stopped talking as he spotted Heikki, straightened up and fixed him with a stern glare. "Come inside, Seb. You're missing the party."  
  
Seb got to his feet, "I was coming in anyway, Kimi. This is Heikki; he moved in when we did, he's been helping out while you've been away."  
  
Kimi's eyes scanned Heikki up and down, "Well I'm back now, so I guess he can go back to helping himself, can't he?"  
  
"Maybe I'll do that," Heikki said softly, smiling as he turned the key.  
  
Kimi pushed Seb past him into the flat and took a step forwards, "What did you say?"  
  
Heikki eyes locked with Kimi's, unflinching and totally relaxed, "I said goodnight, Sebastian."  
  
Seb's arm snaked around Kimi's waist and he all but hauled him back through the doorway, "Let's go, Kimi. Everyone's waiting. Goodnight Heikki."  
  
Kimi snorted and stomped back down the hallway, while Seb shut the door, holding Heikki's eye contact until the lock clicked.

  
****

  
"So who's this Heikki guy, Seb?"  
  
Seb cringed in the darkness; he had hoped that Kimi had drunk too much to remember the uncomfortable introduction in the corridor.  
  
"He's nobody, Kimi, just a neighbour. Did you think I wasn't going to speak to anyone while you were away?"  
  
Kimi made a non-committal noise and pulled Seb against his shoulder, kissing his temple firmly, "I just don't like guys with razor sharp cheekbones checking out my property when I'm not around to defend it, that's all."  
  
"He's just a friend," Seb said.  
  
Kimi's hand slipped around Seb's wrist, guiding his hand to his hardening crotch, "It's good to be home, Seb," he purred.  
  
Seb's fingers teased and stroked, but his movements were mechanical, the kisses endured, and the moment of togetherness treated more like an ordeal until it was over. He lay beside Kimi while he snored loudly, tired out by the orgasm, and thought about Heikki, what he could be doing, was he going out on a job that evening?  
  
At two o'clock he was still awake, and when the door slammed he snuck out of bed and across the dark living room to stare out of the window until Heikki appeared below.  
  
As he approached his car, Heikki stopped and turned, his face more hopeful than irritated as it had before, and upon seeing Seb standing in the window he smiled. Seb raised his hand in a small awkward wave and Heikki's smile widened before he climbed into the car.  
  
"Where have you been?" Kimi's sleepy voice asked as Seb slid back under the covers.  
  
"I just needed a drink of water," Seb lied. "Go back to sleep, Kimi."  
  


****

  
"I've been thinking about your friend, Heikki."  
  
Seb sighed, cutting the toast he'd been buttering, and turned around, "You think about things too much."  
  
Kimi shook his head, "No, I don't mean like that. I mean there's something about him, I'm sure I recognise that name from somewhere."  
  
"He's a trainer at a gym; maybe you've seen him when you're working out?" Seb suggested. "We were only here about a week when he moved in and that's when you -,"  
  
Kimi stuffed a spoonful of cereal into his mouth and mumbled something irritably.  
  
"Sorry," Seb said quietly. He knew he shouldn't keep bringing up Kimi's arrest, but it was really the only event in the last five years of his life that he could use to measure time, unless you counted meeting Heikki, which he could absolutely forget about.  
  
"I've definitely heard of him before," Kimi insisted. "What did you say his last name was?"  
  
Seb shrugged, "It's Finnish, and I know how to write it, but not pronounce it properly."  
  
Kimi pushed a pen at Seb and waited expectantly as Seb nervously wrote the name on the corner of an old newspaper.  
  
"Huovinen?" Kimi said softly, stroking his chin as a sly smile materialised on his face. "I knew it."  
  
"You knew what?" Seb asked, looking back at his own handwriting as though it might offer some solution to the mystery.  
  
"I knew a guy, inside, who got busted for robbing a jeweller. He said that they'd arranged for a guy to be their transport, but when they got out with the goods, the guy had bailed on them."  
  
"He only gives them a certain amount of time, Ki –." Seb slammed his hands over his mouth, but it was already too late.  
  
Kimi grinned, and Seb thought he looked a little too much like a crocodile as he reached out to stroke his cheek. "What other secrets has he been trusting you with I wonder, little Sebastian?"  
  
Seb snapped his head away, "Nothing! I've just heard him leaving the flat late at night, that's all."  
  
Kimi's phone vibrated against the table, making Seb jump. Kimi picked it up, read the message quickly and frowned.  
  
"I have to go out," Kimi said, leaping to his feet and chucking his bowl at the sink.  
  
Seb looked bewildered, following Kimi into the hallway as he pulled on his coat, "But it's the weekend. You said we could do something together."  
  
Kimi's eyes rolled, "I'll be back in about an hour. I just need to speak to someone."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"A man about a dog," teased Kimi, grabbing Seb by the neck and dragging him to his lips before opening the door. "See you later."  
  
  
When night fell, and Kimi still hadn't returned from his breakfast time errand, Seb began to panic. This was how it had begun before, Kimi responding to phone calls and texts with the urgency of a greyhound chasing a hare from its trap, and Seb was scared. Kimi's business dealings had led him to involve himself with dangerous people, and Seb wasn't as tough or anywhere near as confident. What if Kimi got into all that again?  
  
Seb turned on the television, hearing the familiar thud of Heikki's front door and the sound of him moving around the flat next-door, and tried to find some comfort from it.  
  


****

  
"Jesus, Kimi, what did you do?" Seb's eyes were wide like saucers as Kimi crashed through the front door, stumbling down onto the carpet and clutching his side in apparent agony.  
  
"Shut the door," he wheezed, and Seb hopped over his body and, with a cautious glance at the empty corridor, shut and locked the door.  
  
He crouched at Kimi's side, trying to pull his hands away from an injury on his hip, while Kimi hissed through his teeth and cursed at the carpet. "You have to let me see," Seb said, gasping in horror when the wound was revealed.  
  
"It's a warning," Kimi moaned, pinning his hands back to his side.  
  
Seb looked incredulous, "That's not a warning, Kimi. That's attempted murder! We have to get you to a hospital."  
  
"No," Kimi snapped, reaching up and grabbing Seb by the collar of his t-shirt. "No hospitals, no police, just do what you can."  
  
Seb stared at the blood seeping across Kimi's stomach, wishing that the floor would open up and swallow him. Without further argument he rushed to the bathroom, pulling tissue, anti-septic and bandages from the cabinet above the sink. It wasn't the first person he'd had to deal with after a shooting, but he had certainly hoped, following Kimi's return home, that he wouldn't need a reason to use the supplies again for such purposes.  
  
Kimi continued to complain, snapping at Seb when his fingers got too close, or when the ointment stung. Seb tried not to be affected by his words, because he knew it was really only the pain that was making him say them, but they still cut him deeper than the bullet had Kimi.  
  
"That's the best I can do," he said softly, wiping his hands on a blood soaked tea towel and helping Kimi through to the bedroom, where he laid him on the bed.  
  
"Thank you," Kimi sighed, his eyelids fluttering slightly from the blood loss and the painkillers Seb had made him swallow. "You always look after me, Seb. I'd be lost without..."  
  
Seb looked on from the doorway as Kimi drifted off to sleep, pressing his forehead against the wooden frame as the frustrated tears started.  
  
 _Why do you always put me through this?_  
  


****

  
When Kimi woke up the following lunch time, Seb was sitting beside the window looking out across the car park and streets beyond.  
  
"I'm sorry you had to do that last night, Seb," Kimi said softly, easing himself down onto the couch. "Thank you for fixing me up."  
  
Seb looked back at him, hoping that the resentment was clear in his eyes, "Who did that to you?"  
  
"You know I can't tell you that," Kimi replied, wincing as he tried to alter his position.  
  
Seb snorted, "You come back to me full of holes, and covered in blood, and I'm expected to make it better, but you can't give me something as simple as a name?"  
  
"What good would it do, Seb?" Kimi asked, "What would you do? Go after them? That's ridiculous."  
  
"We could move away and try a fresh start somewhere new?"  
  
Kimi started shaking his head before the words had left Seb's mouth, "That's not how it works, Seb. If you have a debt, they'll keep looking for you, and they always find you."  
  
"You paid your debt, you went to prison," Seb said quietly, not really understanding what Kimi was saying now.  
  
"When they arrested me I was carrying almost three kilos of cocaine, do you know what the minimum sentence is for that kind of possession?"  
  
Seb shook his head, and Kimi laughed.  
  
"It certainly isn't eighteen months, Seb. I got parole because I talked, because I told the police where to find people. The drugs I had on me were worth about sixty thousand, and the guys in charge –," Kimi scratched the back of his head, something Seb knew he only did when he was anxious, "Seb, they want their money back."  
  
"Where will you find that kind of amount from?" Seb squeaked, feeling the colour drain from his cheeks.  
  
Kimi's cold blue eyes lifted to Seb's, "They want me to do one last job for them, to settle my account. This," he gestured at the slightly bloody bandages, "was their favoured method of persuasion."  
  
"You can't –,"  
  
Kimi raised his hand to silence Seb, "I can, Seb. I  _have_  to. Otherwise they'll kill me."

 

Seb didn't know at what point in the conversation he'd walked out, but somehow he'd ended up on the other side of town, without his coat, and it was raining.  
  
He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear a car pull up beside him, or its driver calling his name until he had to use the horn to break in.  
  
"Sebastian?"  
  
 _Heikki._  
  
Seb stopped walking, glancing miserably at the car.  
  
"What are you doing? It's freezing?" Heikki yelled. "Get in."  
  
Shaking his head Seb began to move forwards again, "I'm okay Heikki; my life is turning to shit around me, but trust me. I'm fine."  
  
Heikki rolled the car alongside him, looking perplexed, "Please get in, Sebastian."  
  
Again Seb's feet ground to a halt, peering down into the comfy looking passenger seat.  
  
Heikki leaned across and pushed the door open.  
  
"I'm all wet," Seb argued feebly.  
  
Heikki shrugged, "I don't care, better I have to wait for my carpet to dry than watching you catch hypothermia on the pavement."  
  
Seb reached for the door, feeling the warmth from within almost immediately and bundling himself into the seat without any further protest. Heikki pushed a button on the dashboard and with a sudden ‘clunk' the doors locked.  
  
Seb stiffened with fear.  
  
"Hey," Heikki said softly, "I just don't want you jumping out while we're moving. You don't seem well, Sebastian. Has something happened to Kimi?"  
  
Seb stared out of the rain splattered windscreen at the darkening street beyond. He didn't know how long he'd been walking for, but he could now feel the effects of the cold on his body as it began to judder and shake.  
  
Heikki reached to the back seat and pushed a coat into Seb's chest, "Put it on," he ordered. Seb obeyed. "I'm taking you home."  
  
On the way up to their floor in the lift Seb began to shake harder, and when the doors opened his feet remained frozen to the spot, refusing to step out into the corridor.  
  
Heikki waited, holding onto the sliding lift door when it tried to close, but making no attempt to coax Seb from within.  
  
"I can't go in there," Seb whispered, eyes fixed on his own front door.  
  
Heikki's face softened into a worried smile, "Would you like a cup of tea?"  
  
Seb nodded, and, hiding behind Heikki's bulky frame, followed him into the flat next-door.  
  


****

  
"What's happened, Sebastian?"  
  
 _Don't tell him._  
  
Seb stared at the floor, still shivering, while his hair dripped rainwater onto his shoes.  
  
"You need to get warm," Heikki said, striding off down the corridor.  
  
Seb could hear the sound of a shower being turned on and towels being pulled from cupboards. Heikki reappeared and pushed the towels into Seb's arms and silently steered him towards the bathroom.  
  
"Take as long as you need," Heikki said, gently ruffling Seb's hair as he closed the door behind him.  
  
Seb stayed in the shower until the water ran cold, he still felt like crying but he had no tears left, and was glad that those had been shed in the rain. He towelled himself down, wrapping his hips with the material and poking his head out of the bathroom into the most glorious scent.  
  
He followed his nose to the kitchen where Heikki was standing at the stove, his back to the door, humming to himself as he stirred the contents of a large pot.  
  
"That smells delicious," Seb said quietly.  
  
Heikki looked over his shoulder and smiled, and Seb's stomach did a back flip.  
  
"Thank you," he replied, "you should keep your voice down. The walls are thin."  
  
Seb nodded, thankful to Heikki for keeping him concealed from Kimi's suspicious ears. He didn't think that Kimi would immediately deduce that Seb was hiding less than ten feet away, but whatever he could do to stop him coming discovering it was his highest priority.  
  
"What is that?" he asked, padding across the tiles to stand beside Heikki at the stove and peering into the pan.  
  
"Mojakka," Heikki said, grinning widely when Seb simply looked dumbfounded. "It's a traditional Finnish recipe; my mother cooks it when I go home, but I couldn't survive on my own without knowing how to cook it myself. It's just a stew really, although I'm making this with beef, usually it's made using reindeer."  
  
Seb's mouth dropped open in surprise, "You eat Rudolph!" he gasped.  
  
Heikki shook his head and chuckled, "You wouldn't like them so much if you'd spent as much time waiting for them to get out of the road as I have!"  
  
"Probably not," Seb agreed. "Can I taste it?"  
  
"Sure," Heikki replied, reaching for a spoon and dipping it into the bubbling mixture. "Be careful, it's really hot."  
  
Seb leaned forwards, closing his eyes as the spoon passed his lips.  
  
"Any good?" Heikki asked, biting his lip nervously like a kid in cookery class waiting to be graded for his efforts.  
  
Seb opened his eyes wide and smacked his lips appreciatively, "It's fantastic, and I demand that you feed me more of it!"  
  
Heikki looked thrilled, "You're probably going to need to get dressed though."  
  
Seb looked down at his bare chest, realising that he was still only wearing a towel, and blushed a deep red, "Do you have a dryer I can put my clothes in or something?"  
  
Heikki twisted one of the stove dials and headed out of the room, pausing at the doorway to instruct Seb to follow him with a crooked finger.  
  
Seb shuffled along behind him towards the soft light of Heikki's cozy bedroom, wondering why Heikki kept the tumble dryer in the same room where he slept.  
  
"I'm not sure my stuff will fit you so well," Heikki said, more to himself, as he pulled out one of the drawers and sifted through a stack of t-shirts. "This one's probably your best shot," he added, throwing one of the shirts backwards towards his towel clad guest.  
  
Soon Seb was clothed in not only the shirt, but a pair of shorts, some thick socks and a hoodie which was so absurdly large that Heikki had pressed a pillow to his face to muffle the giggles it had provoked.  
  
While he waited for Heikki to finish cooking, Seb sat with the hoodie balled over his hands, cuddling them close to his face where he could pick up Heikki's scent from the fabric. It was a scent that Seb thought could only have belonged to Heikki; strong and sweet with the hint of the washing detergent he used. He pulled his arms around himself, losing reality in a moment of practised fantasy, the one that always comforted him.  
  
"Are you okay, Sebastian?"  
  
 _I'm beyond fine, Heikki._  
  
"Seb?"  
  
Something was wrong. Seb's vision started to swim but the fantasy continued, like he was unable to lift himself clear. Heikki's arms  _were_  around him, and the smell of him was almost suffocating, but he couldn't stop himself from breathing him in, pressing his face into Heikki's neck as fresh tears fell and all he could do was cling to him like a life raft while the rest of his existence sank like a stone.  
  
"It's okay, I've got you. You're okay."  
  
Seb's silent sobs intensified and with one heave, Heikki scooped him up into his arms and carried him through to the safe comfort of his bedroom where he held him, stroking his hair until he drifted off to sleep.  
  


****

  
The room was almost pitch black when Seb awoke, except for the red glow of an alarm clock. He knew he wasn't in his own bed, the mattress was much too firm, and he could hear movement in the hallway outside.  
  
Heikki.  
  
Footsteps passed close by and the bed dipped slightly as Heikki sat down on the edge. Sebastian could hear him breathing, and murmured happily when fingers brushed his hair out of his eyes and trailed across his cheek.  
  
"I have to go out for a little while," Heikki whispered, leaning down to drop a kiss into Seb's hair.  
  
"Don't –," Seb croaked, his hand snatching onto Heikki's wrist and pulling him down on top of him.  
  
 _Please?_  
  
Heikki sighed, and Seb could feel his breath warm against his neck.  
  
"Sebastian."  
  
 _That's not the way to convince me._  
  
"Stay with me,  _please_ , Heikki," Seb pleaded, reaching up to pull the jacket Heikki had just put on back off his shoulders. "You don't have to go, not tonight. I need you."  
  
Heikki shifted, taking some of the weight off Seb's chest, but not moving away, not that Seb's vice like grip would have let him, and when the stubble on Heikki's jaw caught Seb's cheek he shivered, making Heikki's arm snake around his shoulders.  
  
"Are you cold again?" Heikki asked.  
  
"A little," Seb lied, letting Heikki collect him into the safety of his arms again. He couldn't see his face, but he could feel how close it was, and knew all it would take was one brave leap of faith.  
  
Heikki's body stiffened when Seb's lips touched with his, breathing hard Seb felt an initial wave of humiliation, that what he had done was unwanted. He was making a fool of himself, as usual, and would have to leave quickly and avoid Heikki for the rest of his life. As he was about to pull away, Heikki's arms tightened around him, and he was kissing him back.  
  
 _Kissing Heikki._  
  
Seb felt his confidence lift. Heikki wanted this, he wanted this, and there was nothing to stop them.  
  
"Sebastian," Heikki pulled back from Seb's lips, "this isn't right. What about Kimi?"  
  
 _No no no._  
  
Seb lunged forwards, catching Heikki's lips with an unquestionable force. Surely it wasn't up to Heikki to decide what was right or wrong? If Seb wanted to kiss him, and he wanted to kiss Seb back, then what was the problem?  
  
Heikki tried to roll away, but Seb only followed him, until he finished up beached on his chest with his hands clamped to the sides of Heikki's jaw. None of Heikki's wriggling could displace him, and with a huge sigh he resigned himself to his situation, resting his hands on Seb's arse while he continued to attack him with kisses.  
  
Running out of breath, Seb broke the contact, and Heikki blew a lungful of air out with a disgruntled huff.  
  
"What?" Seb asked, peering down at Heikki and trying to make out his features in the darkness. "What's wrong?"  
  
"I'm so flattered right now," he said, tilting his body enough that Seb slid off his chest and back onto the mattress, "but I can't do this with you knowing that Kimi is next-door, wondering where you are."  
  
Seb snorted, "He doesn't care."  
  
The mattress shifted and Heikki got back to his feet, "You don't know that, and I really have to go now. I think you should probably check your clothes are dry in the morning and go home."  
  
"But Heikki –,"  
  
"No Sebastian, you have to go home."  
  
Seb watched in silence as Heikki rounded the bed, passing the red led light of the alarm clock, and strode out of the room, the front door slamming in his wake.  
  
He'd never felt more miserable before in his whole life.  
  


****

  
"Seb!"  
  
Seb inwardly cringed at the sight of a stiff, slightly limping, Kimi who rushed down the hallway at the sound of the door creaking open. "Hi Kimi."  
  
"Where've you been? I was worried!"  
  
 _No you weren't, don't lie._  
  
"I had to get away, to think."  
  
Kimi curled an arm around Seb's shoulders and led him towards the sitting room, "I've got great news! We've got a plan for this job, Seb. It's going to be tough, but we've got it worked out and it's going to be okay."  
  
Seb scowled, wondering where this sudden rush of enthusiasm had come from, "Who's  _we_?" he asked.  
  
As Kimi pushed the door Seb felt the every last millimetre of his blood vessels turn stone cold. Sitting on the couch, wearing the exact same hoodie Seb had taken off and left on the bed alongside the rest of his borrowed clothes, was Heikki, who for once had the decency to look nervous.  
  
"What's going on?" Seb demanded, sitting on the seat furthest away from his neighbour.  
  
Kimi looked almost ecstatic, "Heikki has heard about what's happening through someone he was working with, and asked if there was anything he could to help."  
  
Seb's eyes snapped across to Heikki, stared back at him, his eyes steady and but not quite as relaxed as they usually were.  
  
 _You have got to be joking. This has to be a joke._  
  
"As it happens," Kimi continued, "I need someone who's good behind the wheel, if the job is going to go smoothly, so it was handy Heikki headed my way."  
  
Seb could hear a low hissing in his ears which was growing steadily louder, the exact same thing that had happened moments before he'd left the flat, at speed, the previous day. He held onto the seat cushion beneath him tightly, afraid that his fears might cause him to bolt again.  
  
"I can't believe this," he said, shaking his head in disbelief.  
  
Kimi shuffled to Seb's side and rest a hand on his shoulder, "We can do it Seb, and then we can start again, like you said."  
  
Seb watched Heikki's body stiffen at Kimi's words, a tiny reaction that nobody would have registered, had they not been looking for it.  
  
He felt his chest tighten; knowing that what had happened in Heikki's bed now seemed like a reaction to shock and not a true reflection of his feelings. He wanted to push Kimi out of the way, wrap his arms around Heikki's sagging shoulders and tell him that he'd only given Kimi that option to try and protect him.  
  
 _I don't want him any more, I want you._  
  
Kimi retreated back to the couch, speaking with Heikki in quiet, rapid tones. Seb looked on as Heikki nodded his head at Kimi's words, interrupting with a suggestion to which Kimi shook his head.  
  
"I'll see you tomorrow at seven then," Kimi said, rising to his feet and shaking Heikki's hand.  
  
They walked to the door, Heikki's eyes fixed ahead so firmly that Seb knew he was making an effort to avoid his gaze.  
  
When Kimi returned Seb felt nothing but despair.  
  
"Don't worry, Seb," he said, opening the fridge and pulling out a can of beer. "I've got a great feeling about this."  
  
 _I've heard that one before._  
  


****

  
That night Seb lay awake on his back staring at the ceiling, occasionally watching the shafts of light from passing cars as they danced across the ceiling, wrestling with his guilty conscience.  
  
Kimi sniffed in his sleep, rolling towards Seb and looping his arm around his waist.  
  
Seb instantly tensed, but the scent from Kimi's freshly washed hair pulled a memory from deep within him, of a time when everything was new with their relationship and they were happy. A time before their money worries and Kimi's drinking, when they worked to live and spent their weekends tangled in the bed sheets.  
  
He closed his eyes tightly, willing his imagination to help him remember the scenes. A day at the fair, when Kimi's sharp shooting had won Seb a goldfish that he had named Fernando, and the following week when Kimi comforted him when they awoke to find Fernando floating on the surface of his bowl water.  
  
"He might have lived at the fair a long time?" Kimi had reasoned, kissing Seb's forehead and ruffling his hair playfully. "He was a good old fish."  
  
Further down the road of memories Seb travelled, to the night at his parents' house when Kimi had climbed the drainpipe to be hauled through Seb's bedroom window. They'd collapsed on the carpet in fits of silent giggles, Seb yelling to his mother that he'd stubbed his toe and fallen over, before their lips crashed together and they fucked right there on the carpet.  
  
He wasn't a bad guy; he'd just got in over his head.  
  
"Seb?"  
  
Seb let Kimi pull himself into his chest, resting his head on Seb's shoulder as he drifted back off to sleep. Seb pushed his lips into Kimi's hair, smiling at the contented mumble, and eventually found enough peace to rest.  
  
 _A good old fish._  
  


****

  
Seb stared at the clock on the kitchen wall, something was clearly wrong with it, because the time was passing much quicker than usual, when all he wanted it to do was drag by like a lifetime.  
  
By half past six Kimi had fallen completely silent, and Seb stayed at the opposite end of the couch watching him from the corners of his eyes, wishing that he could be of some kind of comfort. Every few moments Kimi's hand would jerk up and rub the back of his head, his movements taking on a nervous suddenness that made Seb feel like he might be sick.  
  
When a fist banged on the door both of them jumped.  
  
"So..." Kimi said; looking at Seb with huge panic filled eyes.  
  
"So..." Seb replied softly, and for a moment they just stared at each other.  
  
Kimi rushed forwards, grabbing hold of Seb's shoulders and pushing him against the wall behind as their lips collided.  
  
Seb could feel the desperation in it, and the hope. He wrapped his arms around Kimi's shoulders and locked his fingers in his hair, but there was a terrible sense of finality to the kiss that made Seb somewhat unwilling to let Kimi go.  
  
When Kimi stepped back he rubbed a hand across his eyes, disguising their redness.  
  
"I'll see you later," he said.  
  
Seb smiled, "Yeah, I'll be here. Look after yourself, okay?"  
  
Kimi tried to smile, but the door took another beating. "Heikki's waiting."  
  
"Look after him as well," Seb said quietly, but Kimi was gone.  
  


****

  
_Shit._  
  
Seb leaned against the window frame, staring down the street towards the last place he had seen Heikki's car as he and Kimi drove away. The clock had suddenly righted itself the very moment Kimi had left, and time felt like it was standing still.  
  
Seb watched the people in the street below. People who were rushing from here to there, mothers with children, couples holding hands, and not one of them aware that high above them stood a boy whose heart was breaking.  
  
The last thing he wanted was for Kimi to get hurt, they had spent too many years in each others company for him to wish anything like that, but what would become of them? He kept trying to think of a way that he could convince Kimi that a change would be best for both of them, perhaps they could move away in separate directions and communicate via Christmas cards in the way couples who ended their relationships amicably did.  
  
 _No, that would never work._  
  
Kimi never did like Christmas cards.  
  
At nine o'clock Seb turned on the television, but there was nothing to distract him, so he decided to cook himself a snack, sighing when he opened the door to an empty freezer.  
  
Glancing out of the window he could see that the shop on the corner was still open and, throwing on his jacket, he bolted out of the doorway with the last of his change in his fist.  
  
The last person he expected to see when the lift doors opened was Heikki.  
  
Without speaking Heikki pushed Seb back inside and stabbed his finger onto the button for the third floor. Beyond the doors a bearded man rushed through the buildings' entrance, heading straight for the lift doors, which were closing so slowly it was inevitable that his hand should stop them. He squeezed through the gap, with no movement towards the panel and glanced at Heikki.  
  
Seb didn't like the look of this guy, who bore a similar level of dishevelment to Heikki's, and his blood ran cold when he realised that the man had followed his neighbour back to his home.  
  
 _He's come here to kill him._  
  
Seb sank into the corner of the lift, half concealed by Heikki's body, as he wracked his brains for possible solutions. He couldn't fight him, he was at least half the man's size and by the looks of him even Heikki would struggle. Seb managed a smile at the reaction he'd probably get from Kimi for such a suggestion.  
  
 _Kimi._  
  
Seb's heart began to pound. Where was Kimi? If Heikki was here, and he was doing the driving, where the hell was Kimi?  
  
Heikki's head moved slightly, casting a worried look at Seb, who had started to hyperventilate behind him. He shifted something within the inside breast pocket of his jacket and turned to Seb, grabbing him by the waist so hard it lifted him from his feet and kissing him with the same kind of panicked desperation that Seb had experienced only a few hours before.  
  
The man with the beard laughed softly, sliding his hand into his own coat and turning towards Heikki as he quickly dropped Seb back onto his toes.  
  
Seb saw the flash of metal as the tip of a blade swung close to Heikki's body, hearing him yelp as it caught his arm, the sharp edge cutting straight through the fabric of his jacket and a crimson slit beneath showing that it had pierced the skin.  
  
Heikki's foot flew out, kicking the man squarely in the chest and off his feet, and the knife clattered against the tiled lift floor. Before Seb could say anything Heikki pulled a gun and emptied the round into the man's chest.  
  
 _Oh God. Oh God. Oh God._  
  
The lift doors opened and Heikki grabbed a now trembling Seb by his coat sleeve and propelled him out into the corridor, fumbling with his keys and dropping them twice before managing to breach the lock and pulling them both inside his flat.  
  
Seb stood with his back against the door and watched Heikki slide down onto his haunches and clutch his head, his breathing laboured and irregular.  
  
"Heikki –," Seb whispered, not wanting to say what he felt he needed to ask, "Heikki, where's Kimi?"  
  
Heikki lifted his head, looking up at Seb in the dim light of the hallway with eyes full of emotion, "I'm so sorry, Sebastian."  
  
Seb felt the air around him grow suddenly heavy, he had heard what Heikki said, but what did he mean? Why was he sorry? Was Kimi dead?  
  
 _Of course Kimi wasn't dead._  
  
No, Seb told himself, Kimi couldn't be dead. He was badly hurt, perhaps, he wasn't dead.  
  
Heikki was standing again now, using the last of his strength to guide Seb's through to the sitting room, where he dropped him gently onto the couch and walked to the kitchen where he poured two huge glasses of whiskey.  
  
"Is he in the hospital?" Seb asked, his voice sounding dull and unfamiliar to his own ears.  
  
Heikki shook his head sadly, staring at the drink in his hand, "No Seb, he's not at the hospital."  
  
"He can't be dead, Heikki," said Seb, his eyes swimming with tears when they finally lifted to meet Heikki's tired, sorry gaze. "I don't want him to be dead."  
  
Heikki reached out and pushed the strands of hair out of Seb's eyes, stroking his cheek as he lowered his hand. "He didn't suffer, I promise. I saw it happen. They screwed him over, Seb. He never stood a chance."  
  
Seb's face crumpled and Heikki pulled him into his chest, despite the pain in his arm, and held him while he sobbed.  
  
"Why?" Seb asked between huge gulps of breath.  
  
Heikki sighed, swallowing half of his drink in one go before he recalled the memory.  
  
"The hit was simple enough. Just a local shop, point the gun and raid the till, it couldn't have been easier. Only there was a lot more money in the drawer than we expected."  
  
Seb sniffed, "How much?"  
  
"About a hundred grand, which, even on a good day, is really unusual for a place like that. Kimi had the money in a suitcase and brought it out, but there were guys waiting for us."  
  
"Did they shoot him?" Seb asked.  
  
Heikki's grip on Seb's shoulder tightened, and Seb translated the gesture into a yes, burying his face back into Heikki's shirt.  
  


****

  
Seb sat on the floor of his flat, moving papers from a cabinet into a bin bag, as part of his job of clearing out the sitting room. As he threw a stack into the black plastic depths something caught his eye, a photograph, and he reached to retrieve it.  
  
 _Oh my..._  
  
He hadn't seen it in so long it was easy to forget that Kimi had a beautiful smile, and the photograph of him and Seb, taken one ill-thought winter's day at the coast brought the memory back with such startling clarity that Seb felt the breath being stolen from his lungs.  
  
Both wrapped in thick coats and scarves, they grinned at the camera that Kimi – who had the longest arms – held out. Seb's nose was red from the cold sea air and his eyes sparkled happily.  
  
Seb stared at the photograph, letting the bag beside him collapse and spill some of its contents onto the carpet. He heard footsteps behind him as Heikki walked in and crouched behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"This was taken at Weymouth," Seb explained, holding the photo a little higher for Heikki to see.  
  
Heikki smiled and pressed a kiss against Seb's temple, "You should keep that, and we can put it somewhere in the new place."  
  
"So we don't forget?" Seb asked.  
  
"We wouldn't anyway, Sebastian, but it's a nice photo. You look happy."  
  
Seb looked back at the snapshot, stroking a thumb across Kimi's smiling face, "We  _were_  happy... once."  
  
Heikki stepped back and Seb felt certain he'd upset him with his reminiscing. He jumped to his feet and slid his arms around Heikki's waist, sighing at the warmth of his skin and the familiar scent he had grown so used to over the months since Kimi's death.  
  
"Do you miss him?" Heikki asked quietly.  
  
Seb looked up at him, "Yes, but what kind of person would I be if I didn't? I stopped wanting him, but I guess it's a lot more difficult to stop loving someone."  
  
Heikki nodded, "Yes, I think you're right."  
  
"I'd already fallen for somebody else by that point," Seb added, tucking his head under Heikki's chin.  
  
"Is that right, Sebastian?"  
  
 _Sebastian. It never gets old._  
  
"Yes," Seb said brightly, tucking the photograph into his pocket and heaving the bag back to an upright position. "Get moving reindeer murderer, we have to get this finished by the time the removal guys get here in the morning."  
  
Heikki gave Seb a quick salute and bounded off down the hallway, Seb watching him all the way out of sight. A moment later the door beside Seb's thudded with an ear splitting crash, and he chuckled, thinking about a time when he could have happily strangled Heikki for keeping him awake all night and how nowadays it was usually him begging Seb to leave him alone to sleep.  
  
How times change.


End file.
